Canucks get the best of Roberto Luongo with 4-3 shootout win over Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. – Nicklas Jensen scored in the first period and added the only goal in the shootout and the Vancouver Canucks earned a 4-3 victory over former goalie Roberto Luongo and the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

Alex Burrows had a goal and two assists and Dan Hamhuis also scored for the Canucks. Eddie Lack made 26 saves.

Jimmy Hayes scored two power-play goals for the Panthers. Vincent Trocheck also scored and Luongo stopped 29 shots.

Luongo faced his former team just 12 days being traded from the Canucks to the Panthers on March 4. Luongo is 2-3 since joining the Panthers.

Lack stopped all three shots in the shootout and won against Luongo, his former teammate.

The Canucks won for just the fourth time in 17 games and are 3-4 since they traded Luongo.

Luongo was dealt along with forward Steven Anthony to Florida in exchange for goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Shawn Matthias. This is Luongo’s second stint with the Panthers, whom he played for from 2000-06.

Hayes tied the game at 3 on his second goal during a power play with 1:35 left. Brian Campbell’s shot was deflected by Hayes, blocked by Lack, then Hayes was able to poke in his own rebound.

Trailing 2-1, the Panthers tied it at 2 on Trocheck’s goal at 4:19 of the third. Trocheck brought the puck around the back of the net and was able to sneak it past Lack on the wraparound.

It wasn’t long before the Canucks regained the lead. Burrows was able to stuff in a rebound on the power play to make the score 3-2 at 5:34.

The Panthers nearly tied it at 10:47 of the third but a shot by Colby Robak was kicked out of the crease by defenceman Kevin Bieksa.

A quiet first period ended with three goals scored in the final 3 1/2 minutes, two by Vancouver.

The Panthers went ahead 1-0 on a power-play goal by Hayes. Tom Gilbert shot from the slot and Hayes deflected it off his stick at 16:28. It was the eighth power-play goal in the past 12 games for the Panthers.

The Canucks scored twice in less than a minute. Hamhuis shot from the point glanced off the skate of defenceman Robak and into the net to tie it at 1 at 17:42.

Jensen fired a one-timer from the high slot that beat Luongo on the glove side to make it 2-1 at 18:35. It was Jensen’s second NHL goal. His first came in Friday’s 4-3 loss at Washington.

NOTES: Panthers C Jonathan Huberdeau left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period and didn’t return. … F Sean Bergenheim missed his third consecutive game with a lower-body injury. … The Canucks are 4-12-1 in their past 17 games and have allowed 28 goals in their past eight games.